


No Love Without Risk

by dlodle0



Series: All You Need is Faith, Trust and Coffee [3]
Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, Some sweet mother/daughter moments, someone says i love you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:00:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25000519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dlodle0/pseuds/dlodle0
Summary: Now, laying alone in the bed that felt too big as the sun started to come up, she was starting to regret not taking his offer of immediately moving in. As if conjured by her thoughts, the phone next to her lit up with his face. She rolled out of bed as she answered, heading out of her bedroom.
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane
Series: All You Need is Faith, Trust and Coffee [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783498
Comments: 15
Kudos: 100





	No Love Without Risk

It was the first Saturday in over a month that Jack had been in her own apartment. Though if she was being honest, it wasn’t because she wanted to be. It had been nearly ten when he had come up to her office, the night before, already frowning when he stepped in. “It’s going to be a long night.” 

Knowing what he had meant, she had grabbed her purse and given him a quick kiss with the promise of coffee in the morning before leaving.

Now, laying alone in the bed that felt too big as the sun started to come up, she was starting to regret not taking his offer of immediately moving in. As if conjured by her thoughts, the phone next to her lit up with his face. She rolled out of bed as she answered, heading out of her bedroom.

“It’s barely past o’dark thirty.” She groaned quietly as she made her way down the hall to the kitchen.

“You’re up.” He countered and she sighed.

She flipped on the lights of her kitchen and pulled the coffee grinds from the cabinet. “I don’t intend to be up for long.” 

“Yeah? That why you’re making coffee?” This time the voice came from behind her and she whirled around, hand flying to her hip before she exhaled, hard.

“You’re going to die like that one day,” She scolded, grateful she had only just woken up and didn’t have her weapon. Her shoulders relaxed as she hit the start button of the coffee pot. 

“Nah. I don’t think so.” He gave her a crooked grin as he stood from the couch.

“How did you get in?” 

“How do you think?” He approached her slowly and when she didn’t object, he leaned in to kiss her. “Morning, Jack.”

“Good morning.” The smell of coffee filled her kitchen and she smiled up at him. She moved out of his arms to open the fridge, “Have you eaten yet?”

“Nope. Came straight here.” 

Jack felt her face heat up when she realized what he wasn’t saying. “I missed you too.” She said for him as she pulled out the eggs. “I’ll make breakfast. You can make yourself comfortable.” 

He was already pulling a stool from the island so he could sit and watch her. She yawned as the coffee finished and she poured them each a cup. She handed his over and was stopped by his hand enveloping hers. “Why are ya up so early on a Saturday?”

Her brown eyes averted his as she turned back to her own coffee. She poured what he would call her ‘mountain’ of sugar in before pulling a pan out. “How do you want your eggs?”

“Scrambled.” He chuckled into his coffee at the face she shot him before starting to cook. “Asked you a question.”

“I heard you.” 

He got up, hands resting on her waist as he stood behind her. His chin rested on her shoulder as he watched her cook for a minute. “Can’t help if you don’t let me in.”

He received a scoff and she waved the spatula in her hand in his direction. “You’re one to talk, Cowboy.” 

“Do as I say, not as I do.” 

“Ha. That may work on your team but it sure as hell won’t work on me.” 

Normally by now, she would have relaxed into him. It added to his concern that she hadn’t and he tapped his fingers against her hips. “Sloane.” 

He thought for a moment it had the desired effect as she switched the burner off until she reached across him to grab a plate. She turned, forcing him to step back and held the plate of eggs out to him. “Eat.”

He put the plate on the island and caught her before she could start cooking again. He tenderly pushed her hair behind her ear, scrutinizing her face. “You didn’t sleep. That’s why you picked up.”

“If you thought I was asleep, why’d you call?”

“Drove by on my way to the diner. Thought I saw a light in the bedroom.” He knew he had touched on a sore spot when Jack jerked away from him, putting a fresh pan on the stove a little too forcefully.

“I’m not making you new eggs if those ones get cold.”

“I don’t give a damn about cold eggs, Jack. I’m more concerned with you.”

“Okay fine. You got me. Yes, there was a light on in my bedroom. No, I didn’t sleep. Are you happy now?”

“No. No I am not.” He reached around her to turn off the burner, ignoring the glare he got as he did. “Jack. Talk to me.”

“Sometimes, when I can’t sleep, I leave the light on the nightstand on.” 

“On bad nights.”

There was a quiet understanding in his voice and she nodded. “Yes. Most of the time, when the light is on, I can sleep. Last night I couldn’t.” 

He set down his empty mug and she did the same, not looking up at him yet. “Never happened at my house.” He commented, keeping his voice light as if they were simply discussing the weather or that the sky was blue.

“That’s different.” 

A knowing smile formed on his lips and he gently tugged her out of the kitchen and down the hall back to her bedroom. The way that she didn’t fight him at all said she was more tired than she was letting on. He laid down first, opening his arm to her. Jack was asleep within minutes. 

XXXX

It was close to ten when her phone chriped. Knowing they both had that weekend off, he didn’t move from holding her. She had fallen asleep quickly and as far as he could tell, she still was sleeping peacefully. A half hour passed and this time instead of chirping, her phone rang. She shifted his arms, starting to wake up. “Faith.” She mumbled. 

“Try again.” He teased as she stretched against him.

“No.” She rolled her eyes at him but it was accompanied by a smile as she sat up to find the still ringing phone. “The phone. It’s Faith’s ringtone.” She found it and answered quickly. “Hello?”

He couldn’t make out the other side of the conversation from where he was laying but he watched her body go tense and then she laughed softly, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder as she got up and made her way to the closet, flipping through as she spoke. “Yes. I can be there. Send me the address.” 

When she pulled the phone from her ear, she tossed it on the bed next to him. He watched it bounce slightly. “She okay?”

“Huh?” She tugged the dress she had chosen into place before giving him her attention.

“Faith okay?” He repeated, watching her. She didn’t seem panicked or in rush so he stood, drawing her close.

She lifted her chin in his direction and smiled her typical megawatt smile. “Faith’s mother was supposed to go with her to an appointment today. She had to cancel last minute and Faith doesn’t want to go alone.” Her voice filled with happiness. “So she asked me.”

XXXX

It took a little less than an hour to reach the address she was sent and she pulled in directly next to Faith’s car. Faith glanced up as she parked and once she recognized the blue mini cooper, she smiled and got out of her car. “Hi!” 

“Hey. They locked their cars simultaneously and Jack followed her daughter across the parking lot, doing her best not to show how excited she was. 

“I hope I didn’t ruin any plans you had for the day.” Faith sounded slightly curious as she held the door to the office open.

“Thank you. Uh..” She shook her head slightly as she went through the door, “I was actually asleep when you called.”

“That late?” Faith gave Jack a small frown but let it go at the look she received. “I thought you would have been with Agent Gibbs.” Faith signed in at the window, giving the nurse on the other side a kind smile. She looked back at her mother just in time to catch the smile that had formed when Faith said his time. “You were!”

“Jethro, and I was.” She confirmed as they took seats in the waiting room.

“We talked that night at the diner, about you.” She started slowly, not looking at the woman beside her. Her fingers pressed together, giving herself something to focus on and Jack leaned over, gently covering Faith’s hand with hers.

“I know.” She said gently. The tone of her voice had Faith looking up again and Jack could only smile. “He told me.” Her smile grew and her daughter tilted her head before realizing what she meant.

“Did you say it back?”

“Not yet.” She admitted as she shook her head and moved her hair out of her face. 

“But do you?”

Jack considered the question for a moment though really there was no need to. She knew the answer the second the question was asked, in fact she had known for almost 3 years now. “Yes. Of course I do.”

“So what’s holding you back?”

“Our pasts, they aren’t the prettiest.” Jack kept her voice quiet as she dropped her gaze from Faith. 

“Nobody’s past is perfect.” Faith squeezed her hand gently. “But there’s no love without risk."

XXXX

The appointment went smoothly and as Faith drove away, Jack pulled out her phone. She typed out a text, staring at the words she had written. _On my way home._ She bit her lip in thought and erased it before trying again. _On my way._ The first message had felt right but even with the deadline of her lease ending in a month and the text from her landlord asking if she was intending to stay, they hadn’t gone back to finish the conversation about her moving in. 

Jack drove on auto-pilot as her mind wandered to what the worst thing about saying I love you back could be. He had said it and with everything in his past, Jack knew he meant it. Not that she had needed to hear it out loud. There was a softness that he only had when she was there and Jack knew that her own smile was brighter when he was around. There was no reason to be afraid of telling him but that didn’t stop the pit in her stomach. She was still thinking about when she crossed the threshold into the house. 

She took her time hanging her purse by the door before finding him in the kitchen. She added the new ultrasound pictures to the ones hanging on his fridge and it hit her again how much of her life was here instead of at her own place. Gibbs watched her with a smile and came up behind her. He peered at the pictures for a moment. "How’d it go?”

“Everything is going as expected. She’s having a girl.” She took a moment to breathe in the smell of the house. Sawdust and coffee. She was almost positive nothing had ever smelt so perfect in all her life.

“That’s good.” When he looked back at her again, her forehead was creased and he gently tapped the lines to get her attention. “So what’s with the look?”

It was pointless to try and argue so she reached into the fridge to grab a beer. His eyebrow rose as she handed him one and headed to the couch. She tucked her legs under herself as she opened her bottle. ”I got a text yesterday afternoon.” She pulled it up and showed him the screen. “I meant to talk to you about it last night and then..”

“I got stuck at work.” He put his hands on his knees as he sat next to her before taking the phone. 

_Hi Jack, It’s Cindy. Just checking to see if you have decided about your lease. I’ll need an answer by the end of the week. Thanks!_

He took a swig of his beer as he handed the phone back. “What do you want to do?”

She should have known. She locked her phone and looked up at him. “You’re going to make me say it.”

He chuckled lightly, “Uh huh.”

“I hate you.” Her voice was bright, proving she felt everything but hate for him and he laughed again.

“No you don’t.” He waved his hand, encouraging her. “Come on Sloane, spit it out.”

She thought of the message she had typed out before erasing it and her confidence came back. "Let me come home."

She could tell those weren't the words he was expecting but he smiled all the same, grabbing her arm to pull her close. "All you had to do was ask."

XXXX

  
  
  


It was hours later and they were curled up together on the couch. Jack realized that she had never gotten around to the second thing they had needed to talk about. The conversation with Faith had made it clear to her that now was the time. He deserved to know but she just didn’t know how to bring it up. 

“Somethin’ on your mind Jack?” 

She hadn’t noticed that her hand had gripped his shirt in a fist and she released it, smoothing it out as she sat up again. “You were right earlier.”

“Words every man wants to hear. What about?”

“I don’t hate you.” 

“Yeah?” Turning to look at her, Gibbs held his breath as she faced him. He really hoped this was going where he thought it was. She brought a hand up to his cheek, rubbing her thumb across his lips. Staring into his eyes, she smiled, knowing this was it. 

“I love you Jethro.” He broke out into the biggest smile she’d seen from him and his hand came up, a thumb brushing away a tear she hadn’t realized had fallen. 

“Love you too Jack.” She couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, feeling free at finally being able to say the words. 

Leaning forward, she kissed him gently, mumbling another “I love you” against his lips. Now that she had spoken the words out loud she wasn’t planning on stopping. She pulled back slowly. “I need you to know that I’m serious about this. That’s what took me so long. I wanted to be sure because I don’t plan on saying those words again. Not to anybody else. I love you. And you’re the last man who’s ever going to hear me say that. You’re it for me.”

He wiped another tear from her cheek as he pulled her close again. His lips grazed her hairline. All of the heartache and suffering had led him to this. To her. There were a million things he could say but in the end he whispered, “Yeah, Jack. Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! As always feel free to leave any ideas below or find me on tumblr: Oneworthsaving


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